Care, Keeping, and Breeding Feeder Roaches:

Time for the good stuff - how to properly care for feeder roaches.
Alright, so you have made the decision to keep and breed roaches, now it's time to get them properly set up and cared for to ensure a prolific breeding colony that also doubles as a a great food source for your insectivores. I'll address care in "steps"

Choosing a Species and Quantity to get started with

  • I won't go into excessive detail about this, feel free to ask away in this thread or in the forum what species is best to accommodate your individual needs. It's simply too difficult to provide all of the variables in one post...and I feel this informational thread is already quite excessive!


HOUSING AND CARING FOR ROACHES

Roaches need only a few things to thrive: a bin, hides, food, hydration, and warmth.

-Selecting a Bin or Container to keep them in:

  • I prefer using plastic storage bins for housing roaches, preferably the opaque kind as roaches are shy creatures that thrive best in darkness. I avoid aquariums due to their size, cost, and the fact that many species can readily climb the silicone in the corners of aquaria. Avoid the rugged type of plastic bins, be sure to get non-textured very smooth plastic (Sterilite brand, for example). This is to ensure that baby nymphs cannot climb the sides of the bin. A 10-gallon storage tote can house 1-2 thousand mixed roaches (typically) if there is an adequate amount of egg flats.


-Ventilation for your Bin

  • I usually cut out a section out of the the lid of my bin, and secure aluminum mesh or windowscreen for ventilation. I'll provide a picture of this and a complete setup in my next post along with many other pictures. Depending on the size of the bin, I usually cut out a 5" x 5" square...give or take. I prefer to screen more of the bin if possible as you can always cover it up later if things are too dry or less ventilation is required.


- Humidity

  • I generally do not measure the humidity in my bins, but most roaches fare well at roughly 50% humidity. If things are too dry, roaches will be unable to molt properly. If the humidity is too excessive, you will note molting issues, hypopigmentation, and increased bacterial and mold potential. The bin should never be allowed to form condensation on the sides (for these feeder species). If things are too dry, decrease ventialtion and increase the amount of water crystals available at all times. If they are too damp, increase ventilation and lower frequency of feeding salad items and water crystals.


-Heat & Temperature

  • Roaches need a heat source to thrive and breed properly. This is most easily accomplished by using an Undertank Heater (UTH) or Flexwatt Heat Tape; although heat lamps pointed at the bin can certainly work as well. The bin will rest on the heat source, and temperatures in the bin should generally be anywhere from 85-95 degrees F for ideal growth and reproduction for most species. This is a very general value measured immediately on the surface of the bin above the heat source... all species have slightly different needs; but in general this range will allow most species to thrive quite well. If you are unsure about your roaches or would like to clarify temperatures, just ask! Be sure to wire and mount Heat Tape safely, here is a Heat Tape Mounting Guide tutorial by Pro Exotics.


-Hides/Climbing Structures

  • Roaches require hiding spots to feel secure, in addition, these hiding spots will double-up to increase the surface area of the bin and allow you to fit significantly more roaches in the area. The best hiding structure in my opinion is Egg Flats, the 'cardboard' or recycled pulp kind. You can also use Drink Carriers from fast food joints, and even toilet paper or paper towel rolls (not as efficient for larger colonies). Stack these structures VERTICALLY - this allows the frass (poop) and shed skins to fall down to the bottom of the bin. It also allows more roaches to utilize both sides of the flats, which means more roaches can squeeze happily into a smaller space.


-Food/ Gutloading (Dry Feed)

  • Roaches will readily consume a variety of dry foods. There is some speculation that roaches tend to crave higher protein diets. I personally use a combination of Chick Starter [non-medicated], quality dog and cat kibble, fish food and other baby cereal grains. I have dry feed available to my roaches at all times. No need to grind up the food, roaches are fantastic decomposers and will be able to consume even larger kibble.


-Hydration (Moisture source: Veggies, Water Crystals, etc)

  • An ample amount of moisture is needed in the diet to properly hydrate roaches, as the content in most dry feeds isn't substantial enough. I keep a dish of Water Crystals available at all times for my roaches. I also utilize salad items such as dark leafy greens, veggies, and some fruits for moisture (you can use these explicitly, if you'd like). I generally throw some salad items on top of the roaches a couple of times per week to supplement their diet, provide another moisture source, and to increase nutritional benefits as feeders.


Substrate (Bedding) and Cleaning

  • Most species of roach do not need a substrate to thrive, although a few species do prefer a couple of inches of oak leaves, coir, etc. The species I have listed do NOT require a substrate to thrive, and you can simply keep the bottom of the bin bare. For egg laying species, I do recommend an inch or two of substrate to help hold humidity and prevent ooths from drying out (i.e. Turkistan Roaches).
  • Cleaning: Roaches essentially make their own substrate over time by the accumulation of frass and shed skins on the bottom of the bin. This is perfectly sterile, and generally has no significant odor. I allow the frass of B. dubia to accumulate to a couple of inches before actually cleaning... I've let bins go for months at a time without cleaning with no noticeable smell or issues to the colony.


-Breeding:

  • Under these conditions, roaches will thrive and reproduce on their own. No extra effort is necessary. The rate of reproduction and growth depends on the species, quantity of roaches, and care factors. If you keep your roaches warm, comfortable, and well fed, they will reproduce. Live-bearing species will be producing litters as frequently as possible and you'll find ooths littered everywhere before you know it for those egg layers!


  • Male : Female Ratio. I think the ideal Male to female ratio is approximately 1 male for every 3-5 females. Feel free to cull excess males if you have too many (keep em, feed them, sell em, squash em...whatever floats your boat). I've heard of ratios as high as 1male to 1 dozen females as well with success.


  • Females of most species will produce offspring for the majority of their lives; and many species live a LONG time compared to crickets and other feeders. Female B. dubia, for example, may live for anywhere from 12-18 months after reaching sexual maturity. Considering they often produce litters of ~25 every month or so, that's a phenomenal quantity of offspring over the course of their lives to contribute to the growth of the colony.